Selected projects will support learning-by-doing and resource characterization and confirmation drilling.
Geothermal Technologies Office
September 21, 2026
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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Geothermal has selected 21 projects to help expand affordable and reliable geothermal energy across the United States by validating technical approaches, addressing key barriers, and generating new subsurface data.
The selections include five projects for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) field tests that will evaluate and validate EGS reservoir development technologies and methods, and 16 projects for exploration drilling to characterize and confirm promising next-generation and hydrothermal resources. The projects will receive a total of up to $99 million for the first budget period of work, with additional funding subject to Congressional appropriations and successful completion of agreed-upon milestones and performance criteria.
Data generated by these projects will be publicly available through DOE’s Geothermal Data Repository (GDR), providing industry and researchers access to significant data about field tests and geothermal exploration.
Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time.